Did You Know This Movie Has a Huge Connection to Texarkana?

It's always fun to see TV shows or movies where Texarkana is mentioned. But there is a movie that I had no idea was based on a family in Texarkana.

The movie is actually based on a book about one of Texarkana's founding families.

Photo by Jaredd Craig on Unsplash

The Author of the Book

The book was written by a woman who spent some of her childhood in Texarkana and went on to become a famous Silent Screen Hollywood actress in the 1920s. Her name was Corinne Griffith and she became known in Hollywood as "The Orchid Lady of the Screen". She was considered one of the most beautiful actresses during this era.

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How Does This Relate to Texarkana?

As she got older, Corinne gave up acting and became a respected author. In 1952, she wrote a book about her time in Texarkana as a child and her relationship with her father. Her father was married to Amboline Ghio, who was the daughter of A.L. Ghio, one of the founding fathers of Texarkana.

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So, A.L. Ghio was Corinne's grandfather! He was mayor of Texarkana for three terms and is a huge part of Texarkana's early history. In fact, you can find out more about that on Saturday in a free presentation at the Ace of Clubs House.

The Movie

Corinne's book was called Papa's Delicate Condition and in 1963 it was turned into a movie starring Jackie Gleason.

Paramount Pictures

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